15-year-old leads police on pursuit; ends with crash in Shawnee

The Kansas Highway Patrol says a 15-year-old led law enforcement on a pursuit after hitting a Gardner officer with a car on Saturday evening.

Gardner Police say an officer was conducting a car check near East Lincoln Lane and North Moonlight Road. The driver, 15-year-old Gardner resident, Caleb Michael Metsinger struck the officer with his vehicle and sped away around 8:20 p.m..

Law enforcement officers from across Johnson County came together to stop the teen's vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu.

Metsinger led pursuing deputies, officers, and troopers north on Kansas Highway 7 to eastbound Kansas Highway 10, and then north on Interstate 435, with speeds reaching 110 miles per hour along the route according to recorded radio traffic.

A Shawnee officer attempted to throw stop sticks in front of the fleeing vehicle's tires near Shawnee Mission Parkway. The Highway Patrol says Metsinger swerved to avoid the stop sticks and lost control at 8:38 p.m..

Metsinger's vehicle sideswiped a 2012 Toyota Prius, driven by a Lenexa man. The impact pushed Metsinger's vehicle across all northbound lanes, through the grassy median and into the southbound lanes of I-435 where he hit a Raymore, Missouri family's 2013 Toyota Highlander, head-on.

The impact with the southbound vehicle forced both vehicles off the highway. The Toyota Highlander, occupied by two adults and a 13-month-old, rolled onto its side.

Metsinger was transported to Overland Park Regional, in police custody, with a broken leg. The two adults in the Highlander were both wearing seat belts and the infant was securely fastened in a child safety seat according to the highway patrol. All three were transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the sideswiped Toyota Prius was not injured. The Gardner officer was treated and released from an area hospital.

The Kansas Highway Patrol's crash log shows Metsinger is being held in custody on a charge of aggravated vehicular battery on a law enforcement officer. The Johnson County District Attorney's Office will review the case to determine the charges Metsinger will face in court.